It was just a normal day in the Car and Driver offices when, during a (totally work-related) routine errand, I saw a fully diapered-up prototype car being led through Ann Arbor by a Ford Escape. “Gadzooks,” I said out loud, “that must be some sort of future Ford,” and immediately snapped the two photos you see here with my camera phone.

Upon my return to the office, a couple of fellow editors and I determined that the covered-up car is the Ford C-Max. Basically it’s a tall version of the Focus wagon, and Ford’s plans to sell it here in the United States are still a bit vague. Could these photos prove otherwise? Is the C-Max destined for our shores? Maybe. Another scenario is that the car we saw was testing powertrain or chassis components for the slightly larger, seven-passenger Grand C-Max, which will be sold in the North American market.

Update: As eagle-eyed commenter chiman notes below, the vehicle in question is actually a 2011 Kia Sportage. Thanks for the spot, chiman.